A simple and delicious way to cook Farro

Learn how easy it is to cook Farro on the stovetop with simple ingredients to create a delicious side dish. This healthy grain is full of nutrients and cooks like most ancient grains.

A couple of weeks ago I shared an article about Farro and how nutritious this wonderful grain is. Although there are many recipes on the web about Farro, this recipe is very easy and does not require much time. Like most grains, Farro makes a great as a side dish. It is also great in salads, stews, and soups.

Adding ingredients to Farro for a simple meal

Adding flavor to grains may sound difficult. But is it not! I am not referring to salt and pepper, the most common spices. I am talking about onion and garlic. If you cook your rice with garlic and onion, you will know what I am talking about. If not, you just need to try it once.

Onion is a base for stews, sauces, and soups. Does it matter which type of onion you use? Of course, it matters. Red onion, like most onions, adds a subtle sweetness and acidity. The longer you cook an onion, the sweeter it will become.

Farro with Red Onion and Fresh Garlic

Shallots, spring onions and green onions (scallions), belong to the onion family and same as garlic. Adding any of these ingredients will bolster your food. Adding them as finishing in salads, for example, is a great option if you’re looking for more flavoring.

Is farro the same as cooking rice?

In flavor, yes, but it depends on the recipe. If we’re talking about the grains itself, not in particular.

There are several types of rice and each may or may not have the same cooking time. For example, white rice cook time is much faster than brown rice. White rice can usually cook in 20 minutes. Whereas brown rice, red rice or even wild rice takes much longer to cook.

The term farro can be applied to three different types of ancient wheat grains: spelt, emmer, and einkorn. Packages imported from Italy may be labeled with farro grande for spelt, farro medio for emmer, and farro piccolo for einkorn; emmer is the most common variety found in U.S. stores. Additionally, you can purchase farro whole, the most nutritious option; semi-pearled, with portions of the bran removed; or pearled, with all of the bran removed for the quickest-cooking variety. https://www.thespruceeats.com/what-is-farro-3378635

Why add onion and garlic?

This recipe is one of my favorite way to cook all healthy grains. It is simple, and I always have both onion and garlic in my pantry. Cooking grains is a common ritual in my family. We eat different types of grains each week.

Grains are a great source of protein, with many health benefits and recommended daily. When you eat grains as much as we do, you become creative with taste and flavor. Who wants to eat rice or farro flavored with salt and pepper only?

Farro with Red Onion and Fresh Garlic

The daily serving of grains is 6 servings as recommended by the American Heart Association. In Caribbean cuisine, you will mostly find rice, bulgur wheat, corn, and millet. All these grains are part of our food consumption. So cooking any of these grains is vital for our health.

A 3-to-5-course meal every day of the week is common in Caribbean cuisine. You will always find some type of grains on the table at dinner time and even lunchtime.

Let’s talk about this wholesome grain recipe

Because Farro is a good source of protein and fiber, cooking this nutty-flavored grain has to be simple. The first tip is not to overcook Farro.

You can soak the farro the night before in cold water in the refrigerator but it is not necessary. The grains take about 25 – 35 to cook without soaking and I usually skip this step.

In my opinion, Farro is very filling. My cooking method is different. For this recipe, I use 2 cups of Farro and 2 cups of water. Both the garlic cloves and the red onion are cooked for a few minutes in olive oil. Then the farro is added and cooked for about 1 – 2 minutes stirring. The water follows (only warm water) and brought to a quick boil. Once the water has almost evaporated, the fire is lowered to low. Cover the pot and let the farro cook until the grains are cooked and chewy, about 8 – 10 minutes. A total of 30 – 35 minutes.

Cooking Farro the same way as rice works me. I don’t see the point of throwing the cooking water away. Just reduce the water and let the Farro cook. This method has worked for me and will work for you as well. Just don’t cook it on high heat and you must use a good pot. There’s no reason to discard flavor.

Instructions

While the onion and garlic are cooking, place the farro into a sieve and rinse with cold water. Drain.

Pour the farro unto the pot and stir. Let the mixture cook for about 1 – 2 minutes.

Add water salt and pepper and stir. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat

Once the liquid has almost evaporated, reduce the heat to low, cover, and gently simmer for about 10 minutes until it is tender but still chewy. If you need to add more water, add only ¼ of a cup and not more if you don’t want to strain it again and not to overcook the Farro.

Cook under low heat until fully cooked and chewy.

If you soak the Farro overnight, cooking time will be much shorter and you will have to drain the water.

Notes

If you soak the Farro overnight, cooking time will be much shorter and you will have to drain the water.
Cooking time will depend on the type of farro, age of the grain, your pot, other ingredients and let’s not forget harvested time and quality.
A good pot and low heat are required so the bottom grains don’t get stuck to the pot and start to turn brown.

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